Ulaani’s story

Lynda’s young daughter Ulaani had a very high temperature and cold hands and feet

But it took several visits to hospital and health professionals before the cause of her distress was confirmed.

Now, nearly eight years later, Ulaani is coping well with the deafness meningitis left her with. Lynda tells their story.

“Ulaani was born very small and premature and had a few bouts of illness prior to getting meningitis, which may have weakened her immune system."

“As a 9-month-old child, Ulaani, became ill and lifeless at nursery in the morning and she slept all afternoon."

“At night time she woke up screaming, with a very high temperature. I phoned for an ambulance but, after giving her Calpol, her temperature came down. She was checked at hospital and then sent home."

“She had a tiny red pinprick on her tummy the next day. She seemed quite lifeless and her breathing was very shallow. She was sick once and I took her to see the doctor again."

“The doctor thought she may have a virus. She was lifeless for the whole of the next morning, and made a high-pitched grunt every time I touched her. She seemed to cry."

She really did scream

“I took her back to the doctors, who checked her again. When she lifted her shoulders and her neck was thrown back she really did scream, so we then took her back to hospital, which was an hour's journey away."

“When she arrived they checked her and immediately gave her antibiotics. They told us the next 24 hours were critical as she had a raised fontanelle and they suspected meningitis."

“After a week in hospital they confirmed it was meningococcal meningitis."

“She recovered really well, but still showed signs of infection in her blood, so they kept giving her more antibiotics. They thought it may have gone into her bones, so she was transferred to a bone specialist ward in Manchester, where we spent three weeks having CAT scans and more antibiotics."

“In the end, after a month in hospital they discharged her and said she was well enough to come home."

Lost her hearing completely

“A month later she lost her hearing completely!"

“It then took me two months to get her back on the waiting list for ear, nose and throat to get a diagnosis that she was totally deaf."

“When the diagnosis was finally made they rushed her through to get cochlear implants. She is now a happy, hearing 8-year-old in mainstream school with a few balance problems, but doing really well considering she had 18 months of not hearing."

“We have since been on family days with Meningitis Now, which were very good.”